My daughter has a "mean" imaginary friend who puts a witch under her bed and monsters in her closet.

My daughter has an imaginary friend who she played with for a few weeks. She is only 2, but I had "friends" when I was younger too. Recently she has been saying her friend is being mean and put a witch under her bed and that the witch tries to eat her and does bad things to her. I have showed her that there is nothing under her bed but she is terrified of being in her room alone especially at night time. Now she is saying that her friend put monsters in her closet as well that will get us if we try to go back there. I dont really know how to act about this.

Expert

What the Expert Says:

Be upfront and clear. Remind and Reassure. At some point you may read to her and choose stories that project safety. Remember she is two and some of this may be manipulative behavior. try a pass system where she is allowed one pass for checking her room a night after which no more checking. Best wishes but keep trying!